Traversing Swanton Road, 17th ed.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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Swanton Pacific Ranch

11-25-2014

Traversing Swanton Road, 17th ed.

Traversing Swanton Road, 17th ed.

James A. West

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November 25, 2014.

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Traversing Swanton Road

(revised 11/25/2014)

By James A. West

miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its

geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced.

Incorporated within this botanical overview but technically not part of the watershed sensu strictu, are the adjacent environs, ranging from the coastal strand up through the Western Terrace to the ocean draining ridge tops... with the Arroyo de las Trancas/Last Chance Ridge defining the western/northwestern boundary and the Molino Creek divide, the southern demarcation. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+

years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally

disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area. With such a comprehensive and diverse assemblage of floristic elements present, this topographically complex but relatively accessible watershed warrants utilization as a living laboratory, offering major taxonomic challenges within the Agrostis, Arctostaphylos, Carex, Castilleja, Clarkia, Juncus, Mimulus,Pinus, Quercus, Sanicula and Trillium genera (to name but a few), plus ample opportunities to study the significant role of landslides (both historical and contemporary) with the corresponding habitat adaptations/modifications and the resulting impact on population dynamics. Of paramount importance, is the distinct possibility of a paradigm being developed from said studies, which

underscores the seeming contradiction of human activity and biodiversity within the same

environment as notbeing mutually exclusive and understanding/clarifying the range of choices available in the planning of future land use activities, both within and outside of Swanton. {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {}

Although synthetic in origin, Swanton Road, like its fluid counterpart Scott Creek, traverses a substantial part of the watershed and reveals an informative cross-section of the region’s flora. Without leaving the tarmac, one can journey the entire length of “Old Highway One” and observe/study some of Santa Cruz County’s rarest, most horticulturally desirable, and just plain overlooked plant life! The Scott Creek Watershed and its environs, is more than an aggregation of

600+nativespecies (subspecies, varieties and forms), representing 282+genera and 90+ families: it is that rare occurrence, a living window into California’s evolutionary past, still relatively undeveloped by human activity and spared the habitat degradation that has befallen

much of the coastal ecology elsewhere in our state.

Note: The author, over the past 30+ years, has personally observed examples of all underlined taxa in this text without leaving the tarmac, which defines Swanton Road!

Momentarily putting aside the nostalgic and visually arresting aspect of the watershed, it is

paradoxical that an area logged, ranched/grazed and farmed for the past 130+ years, could still

yield species new to science and sustain habitats that serve as refugia for taxa rare elsewhere in

the state. Because there is such a high percentage of the Golden State’s native flora, at least

(10-12%) and still counting, concentrated within 30 square miles, this area is perhaps the ideal

primer for students investigating, for example: (1) the underlyingevolutionarymechanisms,

which from an ecological perspective, define the interrelationships between four taxa within one genus (Stachys) sharing the same watershed, ranging from site specific, (a) Stachys

chamissonis/hydrologically active year round habitat/China Ladder Marsh, (b) Stachys ajugoides/seasonally wet, often poorly drained depressions, (c) Stachys rigida var.

quercetorum/mesic to xeric (edge of chaparral) habitats and (d) Stachys bullata, highly adaptive, ranging from coastal marshes, coniferous/oak woodlands, riparian corridor and occasionally extending up to chaparral...(2) reproductive isolating mechanisms and native [Bombus sp]

versus introduced [Apis sp]species of Hymenoptera, comparing their overall versatility as

pollinating vectors and the potential consequences of population collapse due to disease, parasites and/or pesticides of the introduced species relative to habitat loss thru agricultural conversion and/or urbanization of the native species. What percentage of our native plant species are flexible enough in their basic floral structures, to allow for indigenous replacement vectors with albeit less effective capacities for pollen transference to offset the possible loss of the primary pollinator and what are the long term implications, for speciation in a changing

environment?...(3) the roles of mammals, birds and insects, intentional or otherwise, as

pollinators /dispersers of seeds and the co-evolutionary mechanisms involved... [a]which plant

species are generalists when pollinating vectors are concerned and which species have co-evolved with specific vectors: e.g., Castilleja subinclusa subsp. franciscana with

hummingbirds but Castilleja affinis sensu lato generally being bee pollinated even though this polyploid/polyphyletic complex shows evidence of Castilleja subinclusa subsp.

franciscana in its ancestry?... [b] where flower color and scent are present: e.g., Lupinus arboreus and its hybrids with Lupinus variicolor, do both of these traits have equal value in the formation of the fertile hybrid or does one of these two attractants, visual/olfactory, exert a greater influence in the hybrid formation?...(4) chemical signatures (foliage and/or floral scents) as taxonomic markers, used in conjunction with other morphological features, to differentiate locally problematic species/hybrid complexes ofCastilleja (densifloraaff.

Orthocarpus noctuinus Eastw.), Layia (L. gaillardioides and L. hieracioides), Madia (M. exigua,

M. gracilis and M. sativa), Mimulus = Erythranthe (guttata complex),Monardella (villosa

complex), Pseudognaphalium (gianonei, pro.sp.nov.), Sanicula (gianonei, pro.sp.nov.and pseudo

-laciniata, pro.sp.nov.), Trillium (chloropetalum complex) and Stachys

(evolutionary/phylogenetic relationships betweenS. ajugoides, S. bullata, S. chamissonisand

S. rigida var. quercetorum based on a comparative analysis of their chemical signatures)...(5)

creating a digital library/herbarium documenting the watershed’s flora at all stages of

development (e.g., cotyledon configuration, seed structure and patterning), note:

CalPoly/Swanton Pacific Ranch has implemented this concept and its ongoing development can be viewed on the Ranch's website...(6) habitat stability versus human induced disruptions

Scott Creek, betweenScott Creek and Little Creek Bridges, with particular emphasis on the forested slopes overlooking Swanton Pacific/Calpoly orchard down to Mill Creek confluence with Scott Creek and the e-facing slopes overlooking Swanton Valley, between the

confluences of Big and Little Creeks with Scott Creek...(7) palynological (pollen) studies involving core samplings taken throughout the watershed to ascertain historic changes within the

local species composition... specifically, from a hydrological, palynological and ecological

perspective, do a comparative study of the benched/perched marshes at the sw edge of the Western Terrace aka coastal prairie, between the Cowboy Shack Gulch and Lasher Marsh Gulch drainages: (a) to determine, if possible, the age(s) of the marshes which act as "islands of biological diversity", (b) differences between current and pre-european occupancy native species composition, (c) doing an inventory of shared and marsh specific taxa, (d) role, if any, the underlying syncline plays in water storage/distribution patterns within this section of the Western Terrace, (e) what influence, has the eolian sand deposits played in shaping the vegetational mosaics throughout this portion of the coastal prairie, (f) the cumulative impact of agriculture, both grazing and row crops, have played in modifying/fragmenting the "native vegetation", its persistence along the non-cultivated margins and the repository capacity of

Juncus tussocks to act as mini-refugia and (g) the ecological importance from a biodiversity perspective, of the east/west alignment of the lower portions of the marsh draining gulches between the coastal prairie and highway 1, having mesic and xeric biotic profiles mirroring each other... (8) the geomorphic origins of the “vertical grasslands” and their value as refugia for rare taxa and holding succession in abeyance, using Lidar mapping to define these areas of concentrated biodiversity coupled with in situ digital photography and biota inventories,

generating a baseline for in depth reasearch projects...(9)slope orientation and the resulting

changes in vegetation patterns (mesic versus xeric) within the same drainage system and one of

the underlying mechanisms needed to establish localized biodiversity, using the ocean draining gulch systemsbetween the Lasher Marsh Gulch and Scott Creek Marsh, as examples...(10)

the importance of cyclical riparian scouring to reinvigorate the established, long-lived vegetation

and increase species diversity by uncovering seeds deposited and buried decades before in

sandbars and adjacent stream banks paralleling the co-evolutionalvalue of fire within the

chaparral ecosystem...(11) study gene flow patterns between a given species, e.g., coyote mint (Monardella villosa,sensu lato), which ranges elevationally from the coastal bluffs up to the

chaparral and is represented in the watershed, by two well defined subspecies... (a) map the

distribution patterns of subsp. villosa and subsp. franciscana and the areas where their

populations overlap, (b) what are the underlying ecological conditions that allow the two

subspecies to maintain their distictive phenotypes and where their ranges overlap, is there a breakdown in those distinctions, (c) in terms of speciation, is subsp. franciscana more recently derived, and are there any mechanical or genetic barriers evolving or in place, save physical

proximity, to prevent the exchange of genetic material between the two taxa?, (d) study the local

Monardella villosa complex as a series of overlapping "micro-species", originally formed by the fragmentation of larger populations and through isolation and inbreeding, forming several distinct [on biochemical and morphological levels] sub-populations and where two or more of the "isolates" reconnect [through some disturbance regime], intraspecific hybridization may have taken place, possibly explaining the foliar and chemical signature complexity displayed within some of the larger populations, (e) are there any chromosomal differences between the

two subspecies as they occur within the Scott Creek Watershed/environs and within the two

subspecies themselves, are the populations uniform as to the base number of n=20?, (f) with the majority of species comprising the genus Monardella possessing the base chromosome

with the count of 2n=80, how do the base differences in chromosome numbers and example of polyploidy define M. villosa sensu lato within the phylogeny of the genus?, (g) how do the local populations of both subsp. villosa and subsp. franciscana compare with the type circumscriptions for both taxa?, (h) are the thicker leaves with their deeply impressed veins and complex capitula, comprising multiple "heads" with their subtending folial bracts aggregated into one large capitulum or arranged in whorls and verticillate in appearance, indicative of higher ploidy levels and are these "manifestations" restricted to the subsp.

franciscana? [see page 235 of this essay], (i) along Swanton Road [between the entrance to Purdy Road down to the Casa Verde], are a series of disjunct populations of Monardella villosa aff. villosa, more or less within the same elevational range... do these micro-populations constitute a cline, moving from subsp. villosa into subsp. franciscana at the mouth of the Queseria gulch system or are they separately derived, from populations elevationally above them which currently exist or are no longer extant?...(12) the flowers of Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea and subsp. quadrivulnera vary both within and between

populations as to contrasting pigment patterns and their placement/dimensions: in terms of uv

radiation absorbed or reflected and the ability of members of the Hymenoptera to perceive this part of the spectrum, is one pattern preferred over another by the prospective pollinators and how does this affect both the variability within and sustainability of the populations as a whole in a changing environment...(13) undertake a study (a) documenting the primary hybrids locally of Lupinus arboreuswith Lupinus formosus and Lupinus variicolor and the

relationship of the stabilized taxon tentatively designated Lupinus propinquus to both Lupinus

arboreus and Lupinus latifolius, (b) what role, if any, have the primary hybrids played in the

variability of the contributing parents through backcrossing and (c) what evolutionary

advantages/disadvantages are conferred where sympatric interfertile taxa are both perennial, but either evergreen or seasonal above ground and shrub-like versus decumbent in mode of

growth?...(14) the role of bryophytes: in (a) providing a favorable micro-habitat for seed

germination, (b) creating a buffer zone between exposed rock or bark formations with their

potentially less than optimal pH and (c) through their hygroscopic capabilities, capturing

atmospheric moisture, particularly between dusk and dawn...(15) the comparative value of

dissimilar types of recent and accumulated leaf litter (e.g., Lithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus =

Notholithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus, Arbutus menziesii, Sequoia sempervirens)in mitigating the erosive power of heavy and often prolonged rainfall in unstable areas... (16)

the cumulative capacity of seasonally shed foliage from deciduous streamside trees and shrubs (e.g., Alnus rubra, Sambucusracemosa, Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra, Rubus spectabilis, Acer negundo

var. californicum) in conjunction with exposed rocky debris, to influence flow patterns and act as

catchbasins for particles in suspension... (17) what isolating mechanisms, if any, allow two closely related species of Collinsia... namely C. heterophylla and C. multicolor, to co-exist proximal to each other, along Swanton and Purdy Roads, without producing apparent hybrids even though visited by at least two shared pollinating vectors, both members of the genus

Bombus, and what co-evolutionary factors are in play, causing the C. heterophylla populations to

be overwhelmingly pale-flowered, while sister species C. multicolor , remains basically uniform in coloration throughout its range? The distributional pattern of the Collinsia multicolor

populations offers valuable research potential in the study of inter/intra-population gene flow

with the following considerations worth investigating: (a) with virtually all flowering Collinsia

multicolor plants producing viable seed, which when fully mature, is dispersed within the current season's population and from personal observation over the past 30+ years, seeing

neither loss of vigor nor reduction in population size, are these inbreeding populations or is

shared pollinating vectors aka the two species of Bombus?, (b) of all the populations studied

within the watershed and its environs, only one has produced any significant color variants...

this one down road from Mountain Lion Gulch, comprising 150+ plants and over the course of

30+ years, producing just two alba individuals [clear cell sap, flowers fading tan without any

trace of anthocyanins] and one intensely concolored form, (c) are these now disjunct

populations of Collinsia multicolor scattered along Swanton Road, once part of much larger ones

which have been broken up into smaller physically isolated subsets, due to the ongoing slope

failures that define much of their current habitat ... and do these disruptive events initiate or

curtail population expansion?, (d) As to the breeding patterns of the watershed's San Francisco

collinsia, are they obligate outcrossers or is selfing also possible and are all the current

populations documented for the Scott Creek Watershed and its environs, genetically identical or

have some undergone changes on a molecular level that could through continued isolation, lead

to the formation of cryptic or micro species?, (e) How do the the local Collinsia multicolor populations compare genetically, with the remaining viable ones in San Mateo, San Francisco, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, DNA extracted from historical

documentation for Central California and where growing on serpentine [Santa Clara and

possibly San Mateo Counties), are there significant differences, both on a molecular and

physiological level?... (18) do long-lived fire responsive taxa, such as burl-forming members of

the genus Arctostaphylos, maintain the integrity of their genome or does each episode of

physiological trauma (fire), give rise to new growth, some/all of which display subtle

modifications on a chromosomal level?... (19) examine the evolutionary values conferred upon both native (Taraxia ovata, Sanicula arctopoides) and introduced (Plantago lanceolata, Hypochaeris radicata) taxa, where emerging foliage forms horizontally aligned rosettes initiated from fleshy, water-retaining root stocks, in a post-fire but pre-rainy season scenario.... with an emphasis on

the rosette pattern: (a) securing valuable surface space from competition, (b) maximizing

photosynthesis capabilities and (c) mitigating subsurface loss of moisture and the fleshy taproots:

(d) having ample dormant buds to offset damage from the effects of fire plus potential for

subsequent herbivory and (e) possessing sufficient stored water to bridge temporal gap until

beginning of Fall rains... (20) compare the net genetic gain/loss from a

heterozygous/homozygous perspective, in a long-lived native grass (Calamagrostis rubescens),

whose basic mode of reproduction is asexual/vegetive (from extensive clonal colonies growing within mixed conifer/oak woodlands) and typically produces inflorescences, only when

disturbed by fire, landslides or through canopy removal (with the corresponding change in the

light/temperature regimen) and when inflorescences are produced, how successful is seed set

and to what extent, with the colonies being principally clonal, is new genetic material being introduced into the existing gene pool?...(21) do a comparative analysis of the watershed's oracle oaks (Quercus x morehus): focusing on (a) ecological (parental association, habitat

preferences and role of disturbance in the broaching of reproductive isolating mechanisms), (b)

morphological (bark topography, underlying vascular and epidermal patterns in foliage), (c)

physiological (metabolism and growth rate behavior), (d) molecular (chromosome numbers, mutation rates at specific gene loci, putative gene flow patterns and degree of pollen fertility and whether selfing, outcrossing and/or backcrossing are possible and historically can partially account for variability within the local forest live-oak/Quercus parvula var. shrevei populations)

and (e) being non-F1 hybrids (see pages 67, 113-115 and 120-121 of this essay in reference to the

thesis that the Scott Creek Watershed oracle oaks are the product of ancient hybridization between Quercus kelloggii and what is now called Quercus parvula var. shrevei, with the locally

occurring hybrid taxon being the result of two forest live-oaks each carrying the hybrid gene(s)

Quercus x morehusjuveniles, which always appear proximal to a Quercus parvula var. shrevei adult

and are wholly removed from any current physical contact with the black oak)...(22) An

extensive, in depth investigation of the variable taxon, Douglas's nightshade (Solanum douglasii),

needs to be undertaken, sampling a wide range of habitats... from the coastal bluffs up to the

chaparral... to determine, if all the forms in the watershed and its environs are indeed Solanum

douglasii , and do those plants with lilac suffused corollas found on the immediate coast,

represent past hybridization with the sympatric Solanum umbelliferum or is the distinctive

anthocyanic pigmentation found on stem, foliage and flowers, a physiological response to the

stressful, unshaded headland habitat?...(23) in a post-fire scenario,where weathered (both

consolidated and in places fragmented) Santa Cruz Mudstone (the "Chalks") is the principal substrate and organic material (duff) is minimal at best... (a) what is the viability status of the

mature fruit (drupes and stones) in the non-burl forming Schreiber's manzanita (Arctostaphylos

glutinosa) populations when compared with its burl-forming relative, Arctostaphylos crustaceae sensu lato, which by occupying the lower ridge tops and interfacing with the oak/conifer

woodlands, has accumulated several centimeters of protective leaf litter?... (b) when the

temporal length between fires exceeds 60+ years and the seasonal deposition of manzanita "fruits" encased within the duff can be profiled vertically, have the "oldest" stones via the action of humic acid been rendered inviable... are the most recently deposited mature fruits, lacking the insulatory protection afforded by the deeper layers of organic material destroyed by the "sustained" intensity of the fire, thereby leaving the "middle" layers of stones, the opportunity to germinate in a seedbed of ash-converted duff?... (c) where the duff layer, as in the "Chalks", is sparse or absent and the triggering effects of smoke for germination not or minimally present,

can the cracks/fissures in the mudstone act as refugia for replacement seedlings and are the presence of light, sustained moisture and mineral soil, sufficient to initiate germination and

facilitate growth?...(24) do an in depth analysis, between those sub-populations of Pinus radiata

(coastal bluffs/headlands) outside of the direct influence of Pinus attenuata (via wind referenced pollen) and the sympatric sub-populations dominating the conifer/oak woodland interface with

the chaparral... focusing on (a) bark topography, branch alignment and overall growth structure,

(b) leaf morphology, coloration, stomatal distribution, (c)cone structure... color, size,

profile/angle of attachment to branch, with particular emphasis on apophysis and umbo

gestalt... the mucro points back down towards the base (point of attachment) of the ovulate cones in Pinus radiata, is dominant in hybrid, miniscule in stature and after a few seasons reduced to a basal scar thru weathering, while in Pinus attenuata, the mucro is orientated apically, claw-like, long persisting and recessive in the hybrid, (d)seed and wing morphology, (e) postulate the potential role of outlying individuals representing a hybrid population, removed from parental influence thru isolation, creating new resegregates via selfing and thru time, establishing a highly reticulate pattern of heterozygosity and (f) during the early stages of seasonal growth in seedling/juvenile trees, needles are often 4-5 per fascicle... is this reflective of a shared ancestry with the 5-needle taxa of Mexico and Central America and represent a currently derived foliarmorphology thru reduction?, (g) study and compare the sub-populations of this hybrid swarm derived taxon growing in the decidedly mesic riparian corridor and often proximal to Scott Creek, with those found "higher and drier" up on the 3rd and 4th terraces... as to age/longevity, overall health/disease resistance, through ring counts on dead specimens, rate of growth in dissimilar habitats and reproductive/recruitement success...(25) do a comparative anaylsis of the two coastal forms of Triteleia laxa... form #1 with

laterally symmetrical stamens, whitish anthers and filaments of unequal length and form #2 with

radially symmetrical stamens, darker and narrower flowers, short, equal filaments and blue

with the regionally wide spread form #1 representing an outbreeding strategy while the immediate coastal headland form #2, in response to prevailing wind patterns, has developed an inbreeding, and consequently less variable from a morphological standpoint, reproductive system...(26) examine Corallorhiza maculata forma immaculata from an ecological, morphological

and molecular perspective, to determine whether local forma immaculata, warrants variety,

subspecies or species status and is referable to var. occidentalis... (27) from a reproductive isolating mechanism perspective, study the following (often) sympatric pairs of related species

found within the watershed and determine, (a) if gene flow (uni- or bi-directional) is possible and

(b) if ecologically disruptive events (fire, mass wasting, cyclical flooding) can broach, otherwise

well-established barriers to gene exchange: Baccharis douglasii = Baccharis glutinosa and

Baccharis pilularis... Stachys bullataand Stachys rigida var. quercetorum... Eriophyllum confertiflorum and Eriophyllum staechadifolium [n-end of Swanton Road across from Washout

Turn]... Epilobium ciliatum and Epilobium hallianum [Beaver Flat Marsh]... Trillium

chloropetalum and Trillium ovatum...Smilacina racemosa = Maianthemum racemosum and Smilacina stellata = Maianthemum stellatum... Festuca elmeri and Festuca occidentalis...

Cryptantha clevelandii and Cryptantha micromeres... Plagiobothrys bracteatus and

Plagiobothrys diffusus [grassy slope margining dirt road between Purdy Road and Seymore Hill, see page 83-85 of this essay]... Plantago elongataand Plantago erecta [original Highway 1 roadbed overlooking Washout Turn]... Juncus effusus var. pacificus and Juncus hesperius...

Isolepis carinata and Isolepis cernua [Old Coast Road weathered mudstone roadbed above

Washout Turn]... Stipa lepida and Stipa pulchra [se-facing bank below last Chance

Road/Swanton Road interface]... Nemophila parviflora var. parviflora and Nemophila

pedunculata... Rubus parviflorus and Rubus spectabilis... Mimulus floribundus andMimulus moschatus... Collinsia heterophyllaand Collinsia multicolor... Acmispon glaber var. glaber

and Acmispon junceus... Sanicula crassicaulis and Sanicula gianonei, pro.sp.nov.... Ribes divaricatum var.pubiflorum and Ribes menziesii... Galium californicum subsp. californicum

and Galium porrigens var. porrigens... Piperia elongata and Piperia transversa [this combo

found on the west facing hillside overlooking Squirrel Flat/Purdy Road]... Claytoniaperfoliata

subsp. perfoliata and Claytonia sibirica[margins of dirt road entering lower/central portion of

Little Creek sub-watershed]... (28) with a substantial representation of both native (Agoseris,

Hieracium, Malacothrix, Microseris, Rafinesquia, Stebbinsoseris, Stephanomeria and

Uropappus) and introduced (Crepis, Hedypnois, Hypochaeris, Latuca, Lapsana, Leontodon, Picris, Sonchus and Taraxacum) members of the Asteraceae, subfamily Cichorioideae occuring

within the area covered by this essay: do a comparative study/analysis (a) from a

structural/engineering perspective of the wind dispersed (anemochory) cypselae via pappus, (b)

the efficiency of the native versus introduced species dispersal strategies, (c) the effect of disturbance (fire, mass wasting, cyclical flooding patterns, agricultural practices) in maximizing

these delivery systems/strategies and (d) map within area of discussion, the native versus

introduced taxa populations and ecological behavior (persistent versus ephemeral) over time...

(29) staying within the Asteraceae but this time the subfamily Carduoideae, focusing on the

genus Cirsium: compare the behavior (population demographics and habitat

preferences/response to disturbance and competition/genetic variability between populations) of Indian thistle (Cirsium brevistylum), Venus thistle (Cirsium occidentale var. venustum) and brownie thistle (Cirsium quercetorum), all native taxa, with the introduced bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)...

(30) do an in depth study of the genus Quercus, subgenus Erythrobalanus, as it progresses up

the Schoolhouse Ridge complex from the riparian corridor to the top of the watershed and determine: (a) where coast live-oak (Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia) and forest live-oak (Quercus parvula var. shrevei) are sympatric, is the foliar variability of both taxa due, in part, to past

hybridization, (b) is there any reduction in fertility for those trees which show some degree of intermediacy between the parental types, (c) in those areas where both taxa are growing intermixed, is there any evidence on a molecular level that shows inheritance of hybrid genes, even though from a morphological perspective, traits specific to one parent but not the other (stellate pubescence in abaxial vein-axils, number and alignment of foliar venation) are not apparent, (d) where forest live-oak (Quercus parvula var. shrevei) enters the chaparral and undergoes both a reduction in stature and change in foliar morphology, is this still the same taxon exhibiting an ecotypic response to a pronounced xeric environment or related chaparral live-oak (Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens) and (e) are there intergrades where these two related taxa meet and if so, is the gene flow uni- or bidirectional?...(31) with five native species of Pseudognaphalium and one putative natural hybrid... fragrant everlasting (Pseudognaphalium beneolens), Bioletti's cudweed (Pseudognaphalium biolettii), California cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum), Gianone's everlasting (Pseudognaphalium x gianonei, pro.sp.nov.), pink everlasting (Pseudognaphalium ramosissimum) and cotton batting plant (Pseudognaphalium stramineum)...

residing within the watershed and in varying combinations, sharing the same habitat, often to the extent that they are growing intermixed: (a) with P. x gianonei, pro.sp.nov. (P. californicum x P. stramineum) being the most obvious (sharing an intermediacy in overall morphology and chemical signature) fertile hybrid combination observed, study this taxon's gene flow potential (selfing, sib-crossing and backcrossing to either/or both parents), habitat

preference/adaptability for colonizing new environments and is this "new" taxon, a successful chance occurrence or where the parental species ranges overlap, sporadic?, (b) since

P.californicum and P. ramosissimum are often found growing together and blooming concurrently, are the occasional plants of P. californicum with pinkish-tinged phyllaries, the result of

hybridization or natural variation within the species? and (c) since the native Pseudognaphalium

species, have distict chemical signatures besides differences in foliar and floral morphology, do

these species specific "scents" (when warmed by the sun and begin to vaporize) act like pheromones and aid in attracting pollinating vectors and effectively allowing sympatrically related taxa to maintain their genetic integrity?...(32) Where populations of introduced bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) and native coast tarweed (Madia sativa) grow sympatrically: (a) what role

does the glandular/viscid stems and herbage of the tarweed play in trapping (like flypaper) the

airborn cypselae of the thistle and concentrating an otherwise wind-dispersed taxon within a

localized area and thereby increasing the invasive potential/recruitment for future generations?,

(b) study the post-fire ecological impacts of this native/exotic species interaction, where the

ash-enhanced growth resulted in both taxa achieving heigths/biomass in the 1.5-2(+) meters range

and forming, on the Madia sativa, pappus cloaked barriers (visually akin to walls of down)...(33)

Do an in depth study of the California nutmeg (Torreya californica) found within the watershed

(circa 2,000+ all age catagory individuals): (a) map and profile population sizes, habitat

preferences, associate species and age/stature, (b) document recruitment patterns throughout

watershed, (c) from an evolutionary and ecological perspective, analyze the post 2009 Lockheed

and historical (if possible) fire responses and subsequent regenerative capabilities, (d) since this

taxon is exceedingly long-lived and can perpetuate itself both sexually and asexually, map the genetic diversity within and between populations, clarifying what proportion is clonal versus

seed derived in origin, (e) study the number of male to female adults in any given area and see

what ratio is needed to establish successful fruit set, (f) do the resinous components found in the

aril enclosing the seed, change from protective (when seed is developing) to palatable (when seed is mature and ready for dispersal) and are the clues cueing in the dispersing vector(s), visual

(color change) and/or olfactory?, (g) does the aril protect the seed from dessication until suitable

imbibe the necessary water to initiate germination and is darkness or light needed to initiate

germination? and (h) since the majority of seedlings and immature adults are found growing as

understory constituents, under shaded or dappled light conditions... is the reduction of aerial

stature offset by the establishment of an extensive rootsystem, which when a break in the

canopy cover by storm damage or the senescence of adjacent trees occurs, allows the

"waiting-in-the-wings" young adults to quickly take advantage of the change in light regime and "bolt"?...(34) Distribution patterns and ecological constraints: (a) Why does crinkle-awn fescue (Festuca subuliflora) follow the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) downstream of the Scott Creek Bridge (albeit sporadically), while associate species further upstream... red clintonia (Clintonia andrewsiana), slink pod (Scoliopus bigelovii), brook foam (Boykinia occidentalis), sugar-scoop (Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata), vanilla grass (Hierochloe occidentalis = Anthoxanthum occidentale), two-eyed violet (Viola ocellata), redwood violet (Viola sempervirens), yerba de selva (Whipplea modesta) and deer fern (Blechnum spicant)... have not expanded their ranges

downstream, eventhough in varying combinations, this native species combo also occurs in the

other sub-watersheds feeding into Scott Creek proper?, (b) going from the moist and

semi-shaded riparian corridor to the decidedly xeric chaparral and coastal scrub... what ecological preferences confine the bird's-foot fern (Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata) to the upper reaches of the watershed (principally the "Chalks") while sister species, coffee fern (Pellaea andromedifolia),

extends its range all the way down to the coastal headlands?...(35) Using GIS, LIDAR and other

related mapping tools, see if there is a correlation between topography, geomorphology and

biodiversity, using the following areas within the Scotts Creek Watershed and the in situ

documentation for those areas found within this essay... area #1: Schoolhouse Ridge complex, between Scott and Mill Creeks, extending from Swanton Road up to the "Chalks", area #2: Old Schoolhouse Road, between Little and Winters Creek drainages, from Swanton Road to top of

ridge/Cemex property boundary, area #3: Laird Gulch complex, from Last Chance Road down to

entrance into Scott Creek, area #4: Magic Triangle Ridge/Synform drainage complex and the

attendant 7+ "gulchlets" which coalesce into one narrow stem that enters Scott Creek just below

the Scott Creek Bridge, area #5: the e/ne oriented drainage system, beginning near the Mt. Cook

area and entering into Scott Creek, between the confluences of Big and Little Creeks... also

contains isolated chaparral disjunct, worthy of a study unto itself!, area #6: the complex series of landslide derived, hydrologically active, benched spring-fed marshes, beginning with "Beaver Flat" and stepwise, descending southward down to the "Marti's Park Marsh", area #7: the west facing, descending grassland/chaparral mosaic... beginning at the top of the Seymore Hill and flanked by Calf Gulch to the south and Bettencourt Gulch on the northwest, including the "bowl

area" and basally demarcated by Purdy Road and areas #8 and #9: the bifurcate drainage system,

which includes Cookhouse gulch as one contributor and the adjacent(south-east flanking)

benched, incised andpossibly rotated gulch complex, home to two uncommon native grass

species, California bottlebrush grass (Elymus californicus) and crinkle-awn fescue (Festuca

subuliflora)...(36) Study the isolated populations of locally uncommon summer lupine (Lupinus formosus var. formusus) and (a) note the extreme variability in seed coat patterning within a given

population... is this the result, from an evolutionary perspective, of generating multiple series

of seed coats varying in their surface coloration, allowing some seeds to blend into the surrounding dry grasses, exposed rocky debris, etc., and by crypsis (camouflage), offsetting predation for at least some of the season's mature seeds?, (b) compare the recruitement success

between more or less uniformly patterned yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) seeds with those

of the sympatric summer lupine (Lupinus formosus) and (c) do populations of the summer lupine

(Lupinus formosus), both locally and elsewhere, succeed best in grasslands where the textural variability of the surrounding vegetation can be correlated with seasonal rainfall and consequent

changes in frequency/timing from year to year?...(37) Using the two visually distinctive Lair

Gulch populations as a base line, do an in depth study comparing the riparian corridor and

chaparral populations of the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), to determine: (a) if there are

genetic differences between the two ecotypes, (b) if so, are there physiological and metabolic

differences correlative to their mesic versus xeric habitats, (c) are the differences in stature and foliar pigmentation genetically fixed and transmittable via seed, (d) are there temporal

differences in achieving reproductive maturity and any measurable deviations in ovulate cone size, quantity and size of seed produced and fertility... both as to pollen and seed, (e) using

chloroplast DNA and other genetic markers (as per differences in mutation rates), is there any

correlation from a geomorphological perspective, between uplift and downcutting thru erosive action, which theoretically over time, could have separated what originally was one

population into two? and (f) do an comparative study with the chaparral ecotype growing on the "chalks", between Bettencourt Gulch and the Seymore Hill...(38) Along Swanton Road, between Scott and Big Creek Bridges, several native taxa can be observed during the Fall season,

producing ripe fruit, which in varying degrees, is both fleshy (baccate) and/or in the red to

orange color range... approaching this subject from a co-evolutionary viewpoint, (a) is fruit

color falling within the red to orange end of the spectrum vector specific relating to dispersal?,

(b) can color and the ability of the epidermal surface of the ripe fruit to refract or reflect light, act

both as an enticement and/or warning... hairy honeysuckle(Lonicera hispidula) with intensely

colored but not lustrous fruitsversusbaneberry(Actaea rubra)with nitid, as if varnished, fruits

which contain a glycoside, ranunculin?, (c) with pendant, semi-glossy oblate-spheroid

reddish-orange fruits looking like reduced-in-scale cherry tomatoes, Hooker's fairy bells (Prosartes

hookeri)presents an interesting contradiction... the habitat for this monocot is usually the mixed conifer/hardwood semi-shaded understory and the ripe fruits as well as the preceeding the greenish-white flowers, are pendant and for the most part, hidden from aerial viewing...

even though the over-arching foliage of this species is deciduous, what role does color play in fruit dispersal when it is so cryptically displayed and is there an olfactory component involved?,

(d) also possessing pendant flowers and fruits but this time suspended by hair thin peduncles

and having the exposed seed enclosed in a reddish-orange aril, the seasonally deciduous 2-4

meters in heigth shrub, western burning bush (Euonymus occidentalis var. occidentalis),

presents yet another question of fruit/seed dispersal, (e) two related and often sympatric growing

species with fruits an aggregate of orange/red/pink colored druplets, thimbleberry (Rubus

parviflorus) and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) margin both the roadside and adjacent stream banks, (f) horticulturally desirable California wild rose (Rosa californica), with fleshy reddish-orange "hips" aka ripened flower-tubes was observed 10/29/10 growing with both hairy

honeysuckle and blue elderberry, their fleshy fruits a study in contrasting colors, (g) staying

within the Rosaceae and adding visual warmth during the advent of the winter season, with

scarlet pomes on terminal corymbose panicles, the toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) offers birdlife

nourishment during the bleakest time of the year, (h) another related species duo, fat Solomon's

seal (Smilacina racemosa) and slim Solomon's seal (Smilacina stellata), both sport succulent berries

colored reddish-orange thru reddish-purple... red being the operative word, (i) accenting the

wooded slopes overlooking the riparian corridor, Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) gives the

toyon competition, with an the end-of-season display of panicles laden with berries the color of

blood oranges, (j) still staying within the warm end of the visible light spectrum, the cymose

panicles of the red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa) present a visual feast for

end-of-season avians and is this a generalist banquet or are certain bird species targeted?, and (k) if

the co-evolutionary value of color coded/vector dispersed fruits, is the establishing of new populations which are not competitive with the seed producing parent and thereby insuring

outbreeding and the potential for increased genetic diversity, how successful within the Scott Creek Watershed is this strategy, particularily when several of the taxa involved are also long

lived and expand their biomass, asexually, through rhizomes?... along this relatively short

section of Swanton Road, are several other plant species with fruting bodies possessing varying degress of succulence and coloration: can a pattern of coevolution be established, based on fruit color and secondarily, odor, for these taxa and are the dispersal vectors, species specific or generalist in nature? Here is a partial listing, which ultimately could be extended to cover the entire watershed, of native taxa to study for their seed dispersal strategies and to what extent, coevolution is a key component...(1) fruit baccate and translucent, California bedstraw (Galium californicum subsp. californicum), (2) fruit a drupe and dark purplish-brown, California coffeeberry (Frangula californica subsp. californica), (3) fruit a drupe, blackish coated with a glaucous bloom, blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. caerulea), (4) fruit a berry, purplish densely covered with stiff hairs some of which are gland-tipped, canyon gooseberry (Ribes menziesii), (5) fruit a drupe, greenish suffused with purple turning milky-white at maturity, creek dogwood (Cornus sericea subsp. sericea, (6) fruit a drupe, blue-glaucous, oso berry (Oemleria cerasiformis), (7) fruit an aggregate of blackish-purple druplets, California

blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and (8) the watershed's two native nightshades, Douglas's nightshade

(Solanum douglasii)with black berries and blue witch (Solanum umbelliferum), with ripe fruits

colored an off-white with basal portion greenish...(39) Does a coating of dust (mudstone, in

part, reduced to powder) on the adaxial foliar surface of Agrostis hallii and related species, act as a barrier, to the establishment/development of fungal pathogens (e.g., rusts) during the summer months, as observed along the upper section of dirt road which enters into and parallels Little Creek? Study the various taxa within a given area, where the fungal pathogens are known to occur and analyze, from a foliar topography perspective, what conditions have to be met, in

order for the fungal spores to become attached and subsequently germinate... (a) are foliar

surfaces with recessed stomatal pits, impressed veinal patterns and various trichome

modifications, more susceptable than leaves with stomata only on the abaxial surface, adaxial

surfaces which are plane and/or coated with a waxy bloom or thickened cuticle?, (b) what role

does exposure to the elements (sunlight, wind and moisture laden riparian air movement

patterns) as opposed to tree trunk/canopy induced shade and the concomitant light reduction/air flow restriction play, in conjunction with the aforementioned physical conditions defining the foliar surfaces?...(40) Study the local populations of Fritillaria affinis , from both an ecological

and molecular angle, and (a) are the immediate coastal bluff populations, with their larger in size,

thicker in texture and darker in coloration flowers, distinct from thewatershed/riparian corridor

populations, both as to genetic makeup and pollinating vector/reproductive behavior?, (b) are

the "intermediate phases", found where the Western Terrace is bisected by the lower section of Big Willow Gulch, a subspecies in the making (with the gene flow isolation being complete in the

coastal bluff population(s) and (c) can one make a determination, from both morphological and

molecular studies, the transition from an outbreeding series of overlapping populations within the Scott Creek Watershed proper (forma typica) through the distinctive/isolated coastal bluff

taxon and what is its relationship with the analogous north coast subspecies tristulis?...(41)

Do a botanical distributional analysis of the Scott Creek Watershed and its environs, showing

familial representation broken down by genera and species (e.g., APIACEAE, Sanicula, Sanicula

hoffmannii) and (a) using this relatively small (30 square miles) but species rich (10-12%+ of California's flora) coastal watershed as a base line, do a comparative profile of the watersheds to

the north and south, (b) within the Scott Creek Watershed, is there any correlation between

species distribution and habitat specificity, (c) examine the human footprint within the

what is the ratio of native to introduced taxa and can any trends be observed, such as (1) native

taxa peripheral to areas formerly under cultivation recolonizing the fallow fields, (2) other native

taxa, being marginalized/isolated by newly introduced and more aggressive species and (3)

sympatric related taxa which may or may not be genetically compatible (e.g., Agrostis, Carex) having their reproductive isolating mechanisms broached by the disturbance regimes

(punctuated equilibrium) and new "hybrids" or genetically "enriched" species emerging... (42) Analyze from morphological, molecular, reproductive, ecological and biogeographical frames of reference, the distinctive open-paniculate "form" of Juncus occidentalis, which occurs in Beaver Flat and has been observed in situ for the past 30+ years, as well as documented by herbarium

pressings (UC Berkeley/Jepson Herbarium) and is represented by living material and seeds at

theUCSC Arboretum... (1) since the forma typica for Juncus occidentalis, in Beaver Flat and the

rest of the Scott Creek Watershed, has a loose to densely capitate inflorescence, is the

open-paniculate "form" (simulating the sympatric Juncus bufonius) an extreme variation of the type or is it indicative of a shared lineage with Juncus tenuis?, (2) What accounts for the persistant/localized occurrence of the open-paniculate "form" in Beaver Flat but not elsewhere in the watershed and could this be due to isolation/inbreeding of a population referencing Juncus tenuis genes?, (3) is the open-paniculate "form" reproductively isolated from the sympatric forma typica of Juncus occidentalis and if selfed or sib-crossed, would the F1 offspring be uniformly the open-paniculate "form" or reflect the overall Beaver Flat population in the ratio of plants with open-paniculate to closed(capitate) infloresences? and (4) is there an efficiency differential, in terms of successful pollination/fertilization, between the open-paniculate and congested(capitate) inflorescence

plants?... note: Paralleling the open versus densely congested inflorescence dimorphy of

Juncus occidentalis is another Juncaceae constituent and Scott Creek Watershed botanical component, Luzula comosa [see pages 139-140]. Do a study to ascertain if the underlying mechanisms determining both taxa's inflorescences are shared or independently derived from different environmental pressures... (43) With numerous self-perpetuating micro-populations of Claytonia perfoliata subsp. perfoliata found throughout the watershed and when growing sympatrically, still maintain their distinctive calyx coloring/patterning: study... (a) the reproductive isolating mechanisms [obligate selfer versus outbreeder], (b) gene/genes controlling pedicel, calyx and corolla pigmentation [one or multiple, recessive/dominant], (c) what, if any, pollinating vectors are involved and (d) catogorize the various color patterns as to (1) frequency of occurrence, (2) variability within a given population, (3) habitat correlation with specific pattern, (4) heterozygous or homozygous for color/pattern when artificially selfed and (5) when artificially crossed, do these variants act as microspecies?...(44) With

several components of the Mimulus guttatus = Erythranthe guttata complex [ERYTHRANTHE

SECT. SIMIOLA] represented within the Scott Creek Watershed and its environs [see pages 29, 35, 39-42, 187 and 235 of this essay], initiate a study which includes field observation, controlled

garden studies and laboratory analysis, to determine: (a) the role of pollinating vectors in

maintaining genetic integrity of sympatric related taxa, (b) importance of corolla morphology, lip patterning and scent in attraction/facilitation of potential pollinating vectors, (c) the genetic versus environmental basis for annual/perennial growth patterns and the related hydrological implications of cleistogamous/out-breeding reproductive systems, (d) are there

structural/morphological differences within the various subsets of the Mimulus guttatus =

Erythranthe guttata complex, such as seed gestalt, that are consistant enough to warrant form, varietal or species status, (e) study the relationship between the nanistic, self-pollinating taxa found growing on moss covered mudstone [upper Calf Gulch and coastal gulches abutting Highway 1] and the often robust forms of [var. gracilis = Mimulus nasutus = Erythranthe nasuta] growing on sandbars within the Scott Creek riparian corridor, (f) do controlled artificial

breeding studies with the various members of the Mimulusguttatus = Erythranthe guttata

complex locally, to determine intra-specific compatibility, uni-directional versus

bi-directional gene flow, foreign pollen inducing facultative apomixis, and if sufficient moisture is present, can cleistogamy be replaced temporarily with a modified out-breeding system?... (45) With more than 150 examples of Carex "imperfecta" documented for the coastal prairie,

between Lasher and Scott Creek Marshes, investigate this putative hybrid link between the

Multiflorae and Ovales sections, from the following angles: (a) pollen production andfertility...

do all or only some "imperfectas" produce pollen and does fertility vary from plant to plant?, (b) formulate scenarios for origin of the "imperfectas"... are all the Carex "imperfectas" F1 crosses or the result of selfings and/or backcrossings of the fertile Carex "nitidicarpa" (densa x

subbracteata) onto either parent?, (c) longevity and fertility... does fertility change thru time and does age of plant and amount of accrued biomass, have any influence?, (d) vertical versus

horizontal (erect-ascending/prostrate) alignment of flowering culms... potential differences in

windborn pollination efficiency, (e) solitary versus clustered distribution of "imperfectas" and

potential for maximizing unidirectional "hybrid" gene flow back into sympatric parental gene pool, (f) study the role of natural/man made disturbance patterns and the broaching of

reproductive isolating mechanisms in both the formation of primary and complex crosses and the role non-Mendelian genetics (gene fragments from centromeric fission/fusion) play in the

Carex gianonei/imperfecta/nitidicarpa syngameon, (g) map the occurrences of Carex "imperfecta",

with regard to both previous land use activity and presence/absence of either or both parental species, (h) chart the transformation of C. subbracteata to C. nitidicarpa, by examining thickness, angularity, marginal scabridity and resistance to tearing of mature flowering culms (influence of Carex densa), presence of compound-congested lower 1-5(+) spikelets (reduced panicle branches derived from Carex densa), changes in arrangement of staminate and pistillate flowers (gynaecandrous/androgynous/mixed) and overall morphological variability plus intra-populational fertility, (i) are the Carex gianonei (Carex harfordii matrix) populations, older in origin than the local Carex "imperfecta"/Carex nitidicarpa representatives and chart the distribution patterns for both, within and outside of the Scott Creek Watershed, to determine if the (non-functioning pistillate) Carex "imperfecta" and (fertile) Carex nitidicarpa can occur in the absence of either/both Carex densa and Carex subbracteata, (j) do a comparative analysis

between the coastal prairie and interior (Beaver Flat, West's Spring Marsh, Marti's Park Marsh,

Laguna de las Trancas drainage) occurrences of Carex 'imperfecta" and catalog the

similarities/differences from both a structural and ecological perspective [at least two distinct forms of C. x imperfecta occur on a consistant basis, with form #1 stramineous/shiny in coloration, often with an elongate rachis displaying 4 or more compound-congested spikelets and on rare occasions with perigynial scales apically awned, while form #2 can have inflos with either simple or compound-congested spikelets, are dk brown/dull in coloration and the overall gestalt is often stiff/rigid or elongate and flexuous, (k) where populations of both

Carexdensa and Carexsubbracteata occur sympatrically, DOES THE DIRECTION OF GENE FLOW BETWEEN THE TWO SPECIES, DETERMINE WHETHER THE HYBRID OFFSPRING BECOME CAREX X NITIDICARPA OR CAREX X IMPERFECTA?...(46) As with the Carex "imperfecta" hybrids, the Juncus hesperius x Juncus patens hybrids can possibly offer valuable

insights into evolutionary theory and speciation, with some of the following issues needing to

be addressed: (a) determine if the hybrid is self-fertile and if so, how does this play in the hybrid genes potentially referencing back into either parental species?, (b) with very low to

non-existantviable seeds often being produced, is pollen fertility equally low or possibly

higher, which could offset the poor seed production?, (c) with parents having 3[J. hesperius] and

level?, (d) does longevity and increase in biomass, bring about changes in the hybrid's fertility or is this an immutable condition?, (e) with both parents displaying "natural" variability as to overall gestalt [J. hesperius, in particular, as well as higher fertile seed count], could some of this morphological plasticity be due to backcrossing with the hybrid offspring?, (f) what is the

trigger mechanism that allows the hybrids to occur, natural or anthropogenic disturbance and is

the gene flow uni- or bi-directional between the parents?, (g) do the F2 offspring, if they occur "naturally", display heterosis [hybrid vigor] or are they inherently weaker and prone to shorter life spans and total sterility?, (h) is the mucilaginous encasement that uniquely defines the mature/opened capsules of Juncus patens, when exposed to moisture, a recessive trait or does it carry on into the F1 and higher hybrid generations?...(47) Expanding on and relevant to the

aforementioned discussion of Juncushesperius x Juncuspatens hybrids, is the following

post-anthesis behavior of Juncus patens... unlike the other 10 species of Juncus [J. acuminatus, J. breweri, J. bufonius, J. effusus var. pacificus, J. hesperius, J. mexicanus, J. lescurii, J. occidentalis, J. phaeocephalus and J. xiphioides] occupying the watershed and its environs, the

mature/opened capsules of Juncus patens when exposed to moisture, envelop the seeds in a gelatinous encasement analogous to a cluster of microscopic frog eggs.This distinctive

characteristic is not made mention of in the principal literature dealing with California floristics

[Abrams, Hoover, Howell, old and new Jepson, Mason, Munz and Keck or older floras dealing

with the section Genuini, such as Britton and Brown, the recent Flora of North America or family

overviews, Heywood]. Is the gelatinous material [a] derived from the seed coat or the interior

wall of the capsule?, [b] from a co-evolutionary perspective... does it facilitate seed dispersal, either as an adhesive or when dry, act as a visual attractant to disperse the concentrated seeds in

easily fractured glassine packets?, [c] what is the chemical makeup of the mucilaginous secretion

which the seeds are embedded in... does it act as a fungicide and/or have pathogen inhibiting

properties? note: on 12/11/2012, while studying the Juncus populations growing along the

n-end of Swanton Road, I came across a Juncus patens with mature opened capsules not only encased in a mucilaginous "bubble" but on several inflorescences, some of the embedded seeds were germinating, with the seedlings averaging 3-4mm in length!!! The weight of the globular mass, specifically with those culms which are unsupported, bends them downward and in this particular case, they were resting on the ground. Does the gelatinous encasement of the seeds act as an alternate substrate, analogous to the agar-agar used in the germination of orchid seeds and are there two germination strategies at work... if the ripening of the capsules coincides with the rainy season, then instant recruitment while the seeds in those capsules maturing without seasonal hydration, may enter a state of dormancy, fall to the ground and remain viable but inactive for an unknown period of time?...(48) In some ways paralleling the Monardella villosa subspecies [subsp. villosa and subsp. franciscana], the two varieties of

Chlorogalum pomeridianumlocally [var. pomeridianum and var. divaricatum] present opportunities to study the underlying mechanics of intraspecific variation within a

biogeographically defined environment. Some questions to be asking, are as follows: (a) is habitat

preference, exposed edges of grassland covered terraces versus sheltered understory of mixed

hardwood/coniferous woodland, in part genetically determined, and how adaptable would seedlings of both varieties be, when raised ex situ, then transplanted to their varietal

counterpart's habitat?, (b) are both varieties outbreeders and does the vespertine blooming time

aid the exposed var. divaricatum with a respite from theoften daily westerly wind patterns?,

(c) with the inflorescences reduced in stature and branching patterns often at right angles to the

main axis in var. divaricatum, do other vectors besides moths play a role in pollination?, (d) are

there measurable physiological and metabolical differences between the two varieties,